Warning: SPOILERS for the NCIS episode “Stolen Moments” are ahead!
This year’s penultimate NCIS episode just finished airing on the 2025 TV schedule. It saw Brian Dietzen’s Jimmy Palmer testing out an AI program called the Data Assisted Workflow Navigator (D.A.W.N.) on Director Vance’s orders. It was a fascinating exploration about the pros and cons of incorporating AI into the law enforcement agency’s work, and also helped Jimmy understand some things about himself, including entertaining getting back together with Jessica Knight. However, the end of “Stolen Moments” gave some ammunition for NCIS fans who want a Knight/Nick Torres romance, and Dietzen gave CinemaBlend his take on if that will actually happen.
While Jimmy was getting ready in the final moments of “Stolen Moments” to talk with Knight, he stopped himself upon seeing Torres briefly place his hand on her back before they went into the elevator together. Much like his opinion about D.A.W.N. being used in NCIS, Jimmy took this as a sign that the timing wasn’t right for him to speak with Knight about resuming their romantic relationship. However, I was also curious about whether Jimmy legitimately thinks at that moment that something is brewing between Knight and Torres, and here’s what Dietzen, who co-wrote this episode with Jesse Stern, told me when I asked him about it:
Well, I think that's for the eye of the beholder. I think that we were very intentional on not trying to spell that out for anybody because for some people they may think, ‘Oh, hey, Torres and Knight, they're dating right now, and Jimmy's missed the boat.’ That sort of thing. And others might just think that maybe Jimmy's misreading something. And then still others may say Jimmy's recognizing, ‘Look, she's got her own life and she's doing it and she's not pining for him in any way.’
Jimmy Palmer and Jessica Knight started dating at the end of NCIS Season 19, and they were together until the Season 21 finale, when Knight agreed to move to California to become the new REACT instructor. Although Knight rejoined the Washington D.C. team at the start of Season 22, she and Jimmy agreed a few episodes later that while they still loved each other, they wanted different things out of life, so resuming their relationship wouldn’t work. Jimmy indirectly acknowledged that to Nick Torres in “Stolen Moments” with his observation that the timing hadn’t been right.
Now, like Brian Dietzen said, whether or not Knight and Torres will progress past platonic partners and friends is still up in the air, although it’s something I wondered about after watching “The Sound and the Fury” in October. However that turns out, Dietzen went on to tell me how Jimmy came out of “Stolen Moments” personally improved because he realized he wants more out of his life:
Maybe he might have to build up to a conversation about this, but however it shakes out, I was happy we at least got to see Jimmy recognize that, ‘Hey man, what the hell am I doing? Sitting here down in this basement with these dead people when what I want is upstairs.’ And I think that that was a cool thing to see in action, even if it didn't turn out maybe the way he had it in his head. He didn't run upstairs with the music swelling and get the girl, as it were. But like you said, there's a dichotomy between there's some good things about this, there's some sad things as well, and we have both of those at the end.
Alas, it’ll be a while until we see NCIS Season 23 follow up on this aspect of Jimmy Palmer’s life. Next week’s midseason finale will finally reveal the truth being Alden Parker’s mom’s death after that dark twist with her death certificate was revealed. The show will then go on break for a few months because of the Olympics, and even then, we may have to wait more weeks to see if this Knight/Torres romance actually happens or if Jimmy decides to have that conversation with Knight about picking up where they left off.
For now, just remember to tune into “Heaven and Nature” next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. After that, you can use this break to revisit older NCIS episodes with your Paramount+ subscription until the show returns on February 24.
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